I'll start with my own father.
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| My dad with my niece and nephew |
My dad has many, many great qualities. He is the most generous person I know, sometimes too generous. He will give and give, even to those that may not deserve his generosity. He will leave a great tip for a terrible waitress/waiter for he feels that they probably don't make much money with how poorly of a job they do.
He is mindful of everyone around him and makes sure that all are involved and taken care of. He will approach me with help he wants to give me, coming up with ideas and solutions that I may not have been aware of. He is sensitive to noticing any stresses in my life that will impede my performance as a mother, and though he realizes he cannot fix them all, he offers his help where he can.
My dad understands people, he understands human nature and people's feelings better than anyone that I have ever known. Maybe this comes from growing up with 12 siblings, but it is a real talent of his. He understood and knew each of his children, including me. He knew where I was holding back, where I needed to be pushed, and just what to say to encourage me. He understood, and still understands who I am. He always knew that I held myself to high expectations and he trusts me that I can do things and make decisions for me and my family. He may not always agree with my choices, but he knows me and trusts me; therefore he doesn't try to change me.
To say that my dad is a good grandpa is an understatement. My boys adore "Bampa". They are always excited to see him and will often talk about him in between visits. I feel that grandparents (when able) should give their grandchildren complete acceptance, strive to not be critical of their grandchildren (for they have their parents for that). My dad does this. It would be difficult for my children to not feel accepted by my father. He praises them and loves them, even when they are not behaving the best.
Todd gave my dad the nickname of "The Bob-Father". This because Todd teases that my dad runs his own mafia, and it doesn't help that my dad drives around a completely black car that does look a little shady. A couple of weeks ago we got to spend some time with my dad. Mikey was playing hang-man with my dad, Lana, and me.
We couldn't figure out what the word or phrase was forever, but Mikey was so funny and excited about the game. Every time we got a correct letter, we got sound effects and a fun response, and every time we got an incorrect letter, we got different sound effects with a different response.
A couple of times when Mikey was informing my dad that it was his turn, Mikey called him "Bob-Father". I had never heard my children call my dad that, and it was hilarious. A couple more turns and I realized what Mikey had put for his word on Hangman, he had put "Bob-Father". I started laughing at this realization and announced that I knew what it was but I wasn't going to say. Soon Lana figured it out so Mikey turned to my dad to figure it out.
As my dad got closer and closer to getting "hung", it was hilarious to think about what was on the board. Finally, my dad caught on, surprised as we were that Mikey would put "Bob-Father" down, and amused that Mikey would use that title.
My dad validates each of my children, and I know he does the same for his other grandchildren. They all love and adore him and he loves and adores them. I am so grateful for my dad and for the ways he has shaped my life.
Now on to my children's father
I am constantly amazed at the good fortune I have of having Todd in my life. He really is the greatest person I personally know. He makes my life so pleasant and wonderful. When I married him, I thought he was a good guy, but I did not realize just how great he is.
When people go through a crisis, you really get to see the depths of their character. With all that we have gone through with Evee, and all that we have endured in our marriage, I will say that I have witnessed Todd's great depths of character and he is sincere. He is always kind, loving, thoughtful, faithful, and strong. He has always held fast to his faith and trust in the Lord, he is always willing to serve Him, to obey Him. I love and appreciate that I do not have to push the spiritual matters in our home for Todd takes his responsibility as the spiritual leader of our home very seriously.
I love how sincere Todd is. When I was dating, a big priority of mine was to date someone who did not have an "image". Not only do I find image-y people slightly annoying, but I feel that when an image is of most importance, other things (relationships, responsibilities, devotion to God) will come second and will be dropped if in contest with a person's image. I love Todd's lack of image. I love how sincere he is, I love how loving and accepting he is of others. Todd is Todd, and he will not act like someone else. And the good thing is is that Todd is a great guy.
Todd is always helpful. He tries to do the dishes or help with housework whenever he can. He is ever willing to stay with the kids so that I can get a break. He will sign up for every service project and will offer his help and assistance to all. He is selfless when it comes to his time and energy.
Todd seems to have an endless supply of energy. When we went to Disney World my brother Reagan commented on Tod's endurance. He was amazed that Todd was able to run around the parks all day with at least 4 boys in tow, not going home each night until the parks closed. I have always been impressed with Todd's ability to work hard and still play hard with his family.
Thursday we went to a graduation dinner for Todd's Residency program. Todd was given the prestigious award of Outstanding Resident out of all the Residents in the four Residency programs that are at the hospital. This came as a shock to Todd (of course it does, he also is very modest). The presenter read a write-up on Todd and in it he said something about how Todd gives 110 % at work, all while having a very busy home life. I have always known that Todd works hard at work for I know his work ethic, but it was great to hear that other people notice it as well.
It is no wonder that I have four boys. Todd is such a great example of what a man, father, and husband should be. I do hope and pray that my boys will notice Todd's actions and his character and strive to follow him. Not only is Todd a great father to boys, but to a little girl as well. Todd and Evee have such a special bond, one you can physically see when they are together. They absolutely adore each other. Todd is incredibly sensitive to his little girl and has no qualms with showing it. He sees how wonderful she is, he rejoices in her. With Evee's trach, she can be difficult to care for physically, requiring frequent suctioning and can be difficult to hold, especially for long periods of times. This does not prevent Todd from coming home and taking her into his arms. No amount of work is too much for him.
I am so grateful for Todd. I am so satisfyingly happy to have him in my life, to have him not only be my children's father, but my partner, spouse, and best friend. Life is so great with him and my only complaint would be that I do not get to see him enough. I love you, Toddy. Happy Father's Day.
And to all fathers, thank you for the work you do in shaping your children's lives. If you haven't already seen it, you must see this video:
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